Inverness and the Highlands Golf Holidays: Where to Stay and Play
The Highlands are where Scottish golf gets quiet and very, very good: Royal Dornoch an hour up the A9, Tom Doak's new Old Petty fifteen minutes from the airport, Nairn along the Moray Firth, and Brora playing for less than a third of any of them. Here is how to build the holiday in 2026, with daylight until 10pm doing half the work.
Photograph: The Nairn Golf Club, via Google
Who a Highlands golf holiday suits
Golfers on their second or third Scottish trip, and first timers wise enough to skip the queues. The Highlands deliver the country's most spiritual links golf with none of the St Andrews scramble: tee sheets that still have room, village clubs that pour you a dram afterward, and a supporting cast where the 80 pound rounds routinely beat the 400 pound rounds elsewhere for joy. Inverness Airport makes the whole thing easy, with direct flights from London and the first tee at Castle Stuart 15 minutes from baggage claim.
For the course by course access detail see how to play golf in Inverness and the Highlands, and for the destination overview start at the Inverness and the Highlands hub.
The courses to build a holiday around
Royal Dornoch, Championship Course
The pilgrimage. Royal Dornoch's Championship Course, where Donald Ross learned the game, runs 360 pounds from April to October 2026, with the Struie Course alongside at 215 pounds for the second round of the day. The plateau greens and gorse lined third through sixth remain, for our money, the best opening stretch in golf. Book months ahead for summer mornings; the club opened its 2026 bookings in the prior autumn. Full notes in the Royal Dornoch profile.
Cabot Highlands: Castle Stuart and Old Petty
The modern anchor, 15 minutes from Inverness Airport on the Moray Firth. The Gil Hanse and Mark Parsinen designed Castle Stuart course hosted four Scottish Opens, and Tom Doak's Old Petty celebrated its grand opening in 2025, with 2026 its first full season running May 15 to November 14. Cabot sells the property as multi round packages, roughly 540 to 905 pounds per person across early, main and late season for groups, indicative, rather than cheap single rounds; treat it as a two night, two round stay and it makes sense.
Nairn, Championship Course
The Moray Firth's classic championship test, a Walker Cup host where the sea is in play off the opening holes and around 350 pounds buys the peak 2026 round, indicative. The town behind it is the best small base on this coast for groups who want restaurants in walking distance. See the Nairn profile.
Brora, Golspie and the northern value run
North of Dornoch the prices fall and the charm climbs. Brora, James Braid's 1923 links with sheep on the fairways and an electric fence around the greens, plays for well under half a Dornoch fee; Golspie mixes links, heath and parkland in one round; and Fortrose and Rosemarkie on the Black Isle plays inside an hour of Inverness on land golfed since 1793. These are the rounds groups come home talking about.
The inland day
When the coast blows sideways, the Highlands hold a second hand: Boat of Garten in the Cairngorms, Braid again, with the Strathspey steam railway running alongside, is the prettiest bad weather plan in Scottish golf.
A six night Highlands structure that works
| Day | Plan | Indicative green fee |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 2 | Land Inverness, two nights at Cabot Highlands; Castle Stuart, then Old Petty | Package pricing, roughly 540 to 905 pounds per person by season |
| Day 3 | Nairn in the morning, drive north to Dornoch | About 350 pounds |
| Day 4 | Royal Dornoch Championship; Struie in the evening light if legs allow | 360 pounds, plus 215 for the Struie |
| Day 5 | Brora and Golspie double, the value day | Both together under one Dornoch fee |
| Day 6 | Fortrose and Rosemarkie or Boat of Garten on the way south, fly out next morning | Modest club fees |
We do not quote our own pricing; totals depend on season, lodging and group size. Check tee time availability or browse Inverness and Dornoch hotels.
When to book and when to go
Book Dornoch first: its summer tee sheet is the scarcest asset in the Highlands and 2026 bookings opened the prior autumn. Cabot Highlands packages and Nairn follow, then the village clubs, which rarely sell out outside peak weeks. May, June and September are the prime months; June's near endless daylight makes the Brora and Golspie double trivial, and September brings the firmest turf. Old Petty's season runs May 15 to November 14, so April trips miss it. October still plays beautifully at the supporting clubs at shoulder rates, and a winter Brora round with the sheep for company is a genuine Highland experience for the brave.
Plan your Highlands golf holiday
Tell us your dates, group size and whether Dornoch or the Cabot stay anchors the week. One concierge books the tee times in the right order, sorts the bases and costs the trip to the head. No obligation.
Highlands golf holiday questions
How much does a Highlands golf holiday cost?
The anchors are serious money and the depth is a bargain, which is the Highlands' trick. Royal Dornoch's Championship Course is 360 pounds from April to October 2026 and Cabot Highlands sells multi round packages roughly between 540 and 905 pounds per person depending on season and group size, while Nairn sits around 350 pounds at peak and Brora, Golspie and Fortrose all play for a fraction of those numbers. A five round week can run from about 700 pounds to over 1,500 pounds in green fees per person. All indicative 2026 rates; always confirm directly before booking.
Is Old Petty worth adding in 2026?
Yes, and it is the reason to route through Inverness this year. Tom Doak's Old Petty at Cabot Highlands celebrated its grand opening in 2025 next to the Castle Stuart course, and 2026 is its first full season, running May 15 to November 14. Early visitors report classic Doak width and short grass around the greens. It books as part of Cabot Highlands' packages rather than as a cheap single round, so plan it with Castle Stuart as a two round stay.
When is the best time for a Highlands golf trip?
May, June and September. Highland daylight in midsummer runs past 10pm, which makes 36 hole days easy, and June statistically brings the driest weather of the season. September trades a little light for firm turf and quieter sheets. April and October are real value windows at the supporting courses, though some, like Old Petty, open mid May. Winter golf continues at Brora and Golspie for the devoted.
Do I need a car for an Inverness golf holiday?
Yes. Inverness Airport puts you 15 minutes from Castle Stuart and Nairn, but the spine of the trip is the A9 north: an hour to Dornoch, 20 minutes more to Golspie and Brora. Distances are short by Scottish standards and the driving is part of the holiday, with the Struie road views over the Dornoch Firth thrown in. Groups of eight commonly run two cars or hire a driver so the whisky stops count.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Course access changes, openings and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Green fees and seasons verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.